Category Illustration Client The New York Times Magazine Agency / Designer StudioGaro
'On Language' column - title illustrations
Brief
I was approached early this year to illustrate a typographic piece to feature alongside the On Language column by Ben Zimmer.
Result
Both illustrations were well received with feedback such as "Looks great! This is really wild" (Caleb Bennett)
Solution
The original design brief was to be the phrase Vernacular Spectacular, to head a column about the common usage of slang phrases in modern language use. I took inspiration from the childlike rhyming of the words, as well as the carnival feel of the word spectacular, trying to encapsulate as much excitement within the piece as possible. The New York Times Magazine did not run this article due to their decision to bring the column in it's entirety to an end after 32 years.
I was instead invited to illustrate the title for the final On Language column, which sought to investigate how language would be used in years to come, culminating in the title The Future Tense. I felt it necessary to reflect the idea of forward movement in the piece as language does not stand still.
